Golf Improvement Tip to Stop a Slice ---


For practice on the range, slice swing trainers can be very useful. I've used one myself. If you swing down from the outside in, your club will hit the arm of the gizmo, ruining the shot. Of course, the idea is to train yourself to get the feeling of the proper swing path. But what you're thinking about is keeping the club inside that gizmo!


The problem for me was - on the few occasions when I made contact with it, it didn't provide a whole lot of deterrence. Plus, I had a hard time imagining it there in front of me on the golf course. So I derived limited benefit. What I needed was a more potent image, something that would inflict a more severe penalty if struck - something that would scare the daylights out of my slice motion.


I found that "something" in my backyard. A five pound rock. Now hear me out before you declare me totally insane. I did not train with this stone. But I did study it until I had a clear picture of the rock in my mind. Then, I took an old, beat up club and I struck the rock, not hard, but with just enough force to feel a very uncomfortable rattle in my hands. The thought of even a glancing blow at full speed sent shivers down my spine.


This is the mental image I took with me during my next round of golf - that rock laying a couple of inches behind the ball and just outside the line of a perfect swing path into it. I used this mental image on every shot, and actually got the shivers a few times! Not once, however, did I swing across my line. Was I thinking about the mechanics of my golf swing? Absolutely not. I was thinking about staying clear of that dangerous obstacle.


Here is one instance where you definitely don't want a Piece of the Rock!


By the way, here's a good affirmation to use while practicing this drill: I enjoy the feeling of the perfect swing path.


Here's to a great golf swing!


Rick Semple
Positive Golfer
Co-Founder
TheHeartofGolf.com
http://www.TheHeartofGolf.com

Golf Improvement Tip - Feel It, Don't Force It


To gain lasting success in golf, we must convert from the trying or doing mode to the feeling mode. This is a significant lesson that I learned from real-life experience in my quest to improve my swing and have a more positive golf experience. Years of taking a strictly mechanical approach with much forced effort (i.e. trying too hard) led to a lot of frustration rather than positive, long-term change. It was only when I learned about, and consistently practiced, mentally and physically feeling (rather than forcing) my swing that significant changes began to take place. I changed the way I thought about my golf swing and that opened me up to allow flow, fluidity, relaxation, and a greater receptivity to actually feeling the proper swing motion. When I got a sense of the proper feeling, it was much easier to repeat the proper motion with each swing. The results were more consistency, power, and speed.




Here are some ideas and concepts that worked for me and can work for other golfers too:


- Stop thinking that you have to hit hard at the ball from the beginning of your downswing and instead think about allowing the correct swing motion to happen.


-Take the pressure to perform off yourself and out of your hands. Lighten your grip pressure enough so that you feel no tension in your forearms. Strive to maintain this light pressure throughout your swing.


-Allow yourself to focus on feeling each phase of the swing motion, from the takeaway to the follow through. How does it feel in your hands, arms, and shoulders. Strive to feel the balance, power, and flexibility. Take note of how good a relaxed, smooth, flowing swing motion feels. Remember the feelings so they can be repeated again in your mind and on the range as you practice and play.




It is steps like these in learning and practicing to "feel the feeling" that can help you get to the heart of what is restricting you and open you up to a whole new way of playing and enjoying the game. In a few days, I'll share some "feeling drills" that you can practice now to help you prepare for the upcoming season. They come from my newly published book, THE "INSIDE-OUT" GOLF SWING - A Creative Approach to Golf's Optimal Swing Motion. More coming soon...

Here's to good golf thoughts,


Rick Semple
Positive Golfer
Co-Founder
TheHeartofGolf.com
http://www.TheHeartofGolf.com